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Posted: |
May 19, 2013 - 3:52 PM
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By: |
lexedo
(Member)
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I mentioned the following in the Clavient thread a few months back:
"I reviewed the The Hot Rock - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1972) [SD LP 6055], which is Atlantic Records. Musically, this is really not my thing. The movie is OK with George Segal and Robert Redford. Chuck Rainey and Ray Brown both play bass on this QJ record, which is nice. Tommy Tedesco plays guitar, which is why I got it in the first place bc of the guitar solo on the Hot Rock Theme. Some other guys you may recognize: Clark Terry, Gerry Mulligan, Grady Tate, Dennis Budimir.
...
- The electric harpsichord is used lightly on the R-channel on LP track 7, The Hot Rock Theme. It's a nice guitar solo on the track, which I mentioned above. I think he uses a phaser very conservatively. He uses a phased Fender Rhodes in the R-channel. This one sounds almost like something from Tom Scott and The LA Connection."
Maybe it was really Dennis B (since I made the LA Connection connection)?
Jazz and Film Scoring w studio musicians: I think it depends on the composer. As I mentioned, QJ really isn't in that club, so everyone opens up as they see best. Tom Scott does Startsky and Hutch, and it's more structured, but other than the rhythm and charts, everyone just kind of does their thing in that context. By the time you are at Chinatown or Farewell My Lovely, those lines were probably written in a fairly detailed way. The closing piano solo on The Pelham 123 end titles are all Artie Kane - Shire just said: "Do this. But your way." Even the ending piano solo on The Philadelphia Story main titles w Hep and Jimmy S is improvised (you can tell bc he makes mistakes, and it's generally a little choppy). If you listen to Tootsie, there would be no way to write lines for what Abe Loborial is doing on bass; Grusin just gives him the changes and says, "Be Abe, dude."
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Posted: |
Jun 16, 2013 - 2:54 AM
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By: |
dennyted
(Member)
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Dear Friends at Film Score Monthly,
I came across your conversation about my father and guitarist, Tommy Tedesco. I was thrilled to see his film work recognized.
I would like to share a few personal stories about my father and his film work. Especially now that its father’s day.
A few years before he passed, a writer asked him what he would like to be remembered for. In his career, he had worked on many hits and his guitar could be heard on albums with the Beach Boys, Elvis, Jan & Dean and guitar themes like Bonanza, Batman, Green Acres, and Mash will always be recognized around the world.
But for him, working with some of the greatest composers in the world over the years is what he was proud of. Working with Dimitri Tiomkin, and Alfred Newman to Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, Henry Mancini, James Horner and too many to mention.
There was nothing greater for him when he knew John Williams or James Horner was writing a piece that was going to feature the guitar. They would pre-warn him sometimes to keep certain dates available.
They weren’t just writing for guitar, they were writing for Tommy. He knew why he was in that chair that day. And those were the days that made him the proudest.
For those who worked along side him, he was a master at his job. Nothing phased him. He loved the challenge. But there was a day that he struggled with a piece. It was The River, with John Williams.
They had already recoded the film score and they were recording the Album Soundtrack. At that time in his life, he had two tragedies that week. One of his best Friends, the great Drummer, Shelly Mann passed away and I was also in the hospital recovering from Cancer Surgery. My father went to work the next day and came across a piece of music that gave him a problem. The song was titled, “Growing Up”. After a break, my father composed himself and got through it.
As any parent who has lost a child or come close, you can imagine how that song effected him. Later he came to the hospital and shared that story with tears in his eyes.
I would always tease, that my father’s best work was heard during a love scene or the saddest scene in the movie. He might not have looked like a sensitive guitar player, but he was one of the most sensitive people I’ve ever known. Commercials made him cry. The cartoon, Peanuts meant everything to him.
Another great favorite that I’d like to share is the Theme for “Night Mother”
'Night, Mother was a movie based on the play by Marsha Norman about a daughter, Jessie, and her mother, Thelma (referred to as "Mama" in the play). The movie opens with Jessie calmly telling Mama that by morning she will be dead, as she plans to commit suicide that very evening (she makes this revelation all while nonchalantly organizing household items and preparing to do her mother's nails). The subsequent dialogue between Jessie and Mama slowly reveals her reasons for her decision, her life with Mama, and how thoroughly she has planned her own death, culminating in a disturbing – yet unavoidable – climax.
There is no music until the last scene. The build up is so intense and then the strings start followed by the classical guitar of my father’s, I was a wreck. I couldn’t leave the theater well after the credits. Lucky for me, my date was understandable. Later she became my understanding wife.
The other favorite of mine is Field of Dreams by James Horner. Its not in the movie. But its on the sound track.
When my father passed away in 1997, we had 33 guitarists playing. Dennis Budimer, Lee Ritenour, Tim May, Thom Rotella, Mitch Holder and so many more of his friends.
But we also played the music he wanted to be remembered for. I’ve played his favorite pieces when my children were born. I always felt, he was there with us through his guitar.
If you’re coming into this world or leaving it, there is nothing like a wonderful Film Score to play in heaven or on earth. Miss him dearly.
If you want to see some out takes of Tommy, check out the Wrecking Crew Film site. I hope to share this film very soon. www.wreckingcrewfilm.com Go to the out takes to see tommy.
Thank you again, for the memories
Denny Tedesco
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That was really nice. Thank you.
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That was really nice. Thank you.
Couldn't agree more - what a lovely remembrance, and welcome to the FSM forum, Denny.
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Indeed a wonderful, warm read from Denny Tedesco. Thanks very much.
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I just recently bought on sale for $10.00 La La Lands release of RIO LOBO.
The booklet leaves a few questions. Why is Tommy Tedesco not Credited on the Performers page? Under GUITARS it does credit: Bobby Bain, Alton Hendrickson and Alfred Viola. No Tommy.
Also in the booklet Jeff Bond reflects the story of how Tommy was filmed playing the Main Title Theme on solo guitar for the actual Main Title images of the movie. Tight close-ups. Tommy's son Denny seems to differ with this story saying someone else was filmed or it was a recreation, because Tommy played only with a pick and it was just the audio of Tommy's recording. No pick seen in the tight close-ups. See this youtube offering and look at all the replies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqTNAZ1ILV4
So perhaps Tommy was not an actual sessions player for the RIO LOBO Sessions, but recorded the Guitar Solo apart from them?
zooba, I was surprised to read (on a guitarists' webpage) Tommy Tedesco's son quoted as saying that his father only ever played using a pick. There's a ton of footage out there of TT playing using only his fingers - lots of flamenco-flavoured stuff, of which the Main Title for RIO LOBO could be included, so I don't know where Denny's quote originated.
I don't know the answer, but I did notice that on the LLL release of RIO LOBO, Tedesco is not mentioned in the Performers' List of guitarists. I just guessed that perhaps he didn't play on the whole score and was just brought in for the Titles because he had photogenic hands or something. Perhaps the Main Title sequence was a last-minute addition after the rest of the score had been recorded? I don't have the CD with the liner notes at hand to see if that info is given.
Maybe Denny, Tommy's son, will see this and set the story straight.
P.S. - I see that Denny Tedesco is on Facebook. I don't hang around there much, but I suppose someone could ask him about the story...
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